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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344735">You Alone</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons'>27dragons</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Bucky Barnes, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anal Sex, First Dates, First Kiss, Knotting, Light BDSM, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Meddling Kids, Multiple Orgasms, Omega Tony Stark, Panic Attacks, Past Tony Stark/Tiberius Stone, Protective Harley Keener, Sex, War Veteran Bucky Barnes, Weddings, single parent tony stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:54:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,938</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26344735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/27dragons/pseuds/27dragons</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life as a single parent isn’t easy, but Tony is proud of what he’s accomplished over the last fifteen years. He has his own electronics repair shop and has managed to keep his son Harley away from his toxic ex. So what if every alpha he sees puts him on edge? Most of his customers are omegas, anyway, and he’s content never to date again if it means never again having to go through the shit that Harley’s sire put him through.</p>
<p>Bucky is more than intrigued by the smart and beautiful omega who’s repairing his arm, but Tony smells like fear, and Bucky doesn’t want to make things worse. He has to put a lot of effort into making sure not to trip Tony’s triggers -- made doubly hard by the fact that Tony doesn’t want to talk about them -- but he thinks it could be well worth the effort in the end.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1377</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, MCU Kink Bingo Round 5, StarkBucksBingo2020, Tony Stark Flash Bingo</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This work fills squares from multiple bingos, including:<br/>- Bucky Barnes Bingo '20<br/>- MCU Kink Bingo Round 5<br/>- StarkBucks Bingo '20<br/>- Tony Stark Flash (September '20) Bingo</p>
<p>Individual squares are listed at the beginning of each chapter.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Squares:<br/>- BBB: C2 - IMG: Tony working on Bucky's arm<br/>- MCUKB: O3 - A/B/O Dynamics: Scenting<br/>- SBB: O3 - AU: Single Parent<br/>- TSB: T1 - Harley Keener<br/>Rating: Gen (chapter)<br/>Wordcount: 3726 (chapter)</p><p>(Full header will be provided on tumblr post.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The shop bell rang and Tony looked up with a bright, professional smile. “Good afternoon, welcome to Stark’s Sparks Electronics! I’m Tony; how can I help you?”</p>
<p>The omega paused, barely through the door, and looked around cautiously. She looked at Tony and her nostrils flared a little, testing the air.</p>
<p>He waited, holding the smile in place, while she registered that the only alpha scents in the shop were hours old -- Tony didn’t get many alpha customers. That Tony was an omega, himself, and naked of any jewelry proclaiming him bonded. She had earrings in her ears and a ring on her finger that said she was bonded and married, but they were plain and small, her jacket patched in three places Tony could see.</p>
<p>“I don’t know if you can help,” she hedged, clutching a large bag to her chest.</p>
<p>“Well, let’s have a look,” Tony suggested. “If it’s got a circuit board, chances are I can at least diagnose the problem.”</p>
<p>“It’s just that money’s tight, and--”</p>
<p>“I understand completely,” Tony said. He patted the counter. “Pop it up here and let’s have a look. Diagnostic is free; no hard feelings if you decide to try your luck elsewhere.”</p>
<p>She hesitated again, then hefted the bag up on the counter. When she opened it, Tony found himself face-to-face with a K-10 robot. It was a kid’s toy, a do-it-yourself kit, but for all that, it was one of the more challenging kits available, at least in its price range. Which, given her simple jewelry and threadbare jacket, Tony would have guessed was beyond her. No wonder she didn’t want to have to replace it. “What happened?” He lifted it out of the bag and set it on the counter, reaching for his jeweler’s screwdriver to open up the case.</p>
<p>“My fault,” she said with a sigh, slowly warming. “As many times as I’ve told him to put his toys away -- my kid, you know how they can be, or, well, I guess you don’t--”</p>
<p>“I do,” Tony said smoothly, pulling off the cover and dragging the desk lamp closer so he could peer in at the wiring. “Mine is fifteen; how old is yours?”</p>
<p>Her eyes flickered to Tony’s hand and ears again. He was used to it now, the silent judgment, or sometimes pity, so he was able to pretend he hadn’t seen it and keep working. “He’s twelve,” she said, after a blessedly brief pause. “But this time he actually <em>did</em> put it away. And then I bumped the shelf with the vacuum and it fell, and...” She waved at the K-10.</p>
<p>“It’s not uncommon for these sorts of kits to break after a tumble,” Tony said. He tipped it one way and then the other, looking for-- Aha, a loose wire. “Did your son build it himself?”</p>
<p>“My nephew, actually. And mostly,” she agreed, smiling a little. “He needed some help with the...” She mimed a claw opening and closing, the K-10’s small hands. “They were too small for him.”</p>
<p>“I’m impressed,” Tony said, meaning it. “This is an advanced kit for a twelve-year-old.”</p>
<p>“Oh, we’ve had it for a few years,” she said. “It was the only thing he wanted for his ninth birthday.” She smiled fondly. “Good thing, too. I had to scrimp and save for <em>months.</em>”</p>
<p><em>I</em>, not <em>we</em>. Which meant her alpha was out of the picture; most likely dead, since she was still wearing the jewelry. Tony was even more impressed; the connections were very neat for an nine-year-old’s work, and omegas, as a rule, were discouraged from pursuing STEM hobbies or schooling; he’d had to fight tooth and nail for his own degree.</p>
<p>“Okay, well, this is pretty fixable,” he told her. “There’s a loose wire in here, and as long as I’ve got it open, this gear for the arm joint--” He pointed with his screwdriver. “--is pretty worn and stripped, and I give it another month, maybe, before it stops working. Other than that, it’s in good shape. So I can fix it for, oh, probably fifteen bucks. Or I can sell you the stuff he’ll need to fix it himself for about ten. You’d have to admit to breaking it,” he said, flashing a quick grin, “but on the other hand, it would give him another project to do.”</p>
<p>The woman laughed, a touch ruefully. “Yeah, okay, I’ll do that.”</p>
<p>“Great. Give me a minute to pull it all together.”</p>
<p>Tony was sorting through the spare gears and trying to find one that would fit when the shop bell rang again.</p>
<p>“Hey, Dad!” Harley called. “Did you get--” He stumbled to a stop, belatedly noticing the customer. “Oops, sorry.”</p>
<p>“It’s all right, we’re almost done,” Tony said. He found the gear and wrapped it up with the other bits and pieces that he thought would come in handy, and rang it up. “If he’s interested in something other than off-the-shelf kits, bring him in and we’ll put together a home-grown kit for a lot less than what this cost.”</p>
<p>She smiled. “I just might do that. It’s hard to keep him challenged.” She offered him her hand. “May Parker. You’ll be seeing me again, definitely. Peter will be <em>thrilled</em> to find another omega to talk shop with. He tried to join the robotics club at his school, but... Well, I’m sure you can imagine.”</p>
<p>Tony grimaced in sympathy. “Yeah. You’re both welcome to drop in any time.”</p>
<p>As May left, Tony lifted an eyebrow at his son. “You have homework?”</p>
<p>“No?” Harley tried. “I mean, yeah, <em>obviously</em>, but I did most of it on the bus.”</p>
<p>Tony hummed and checked the time. “Okay, go in the back and finish the rest of it, and if you’re done by the time I close, we can stop for pizza on the way home.”</p>
<p>“Yes!” Harley pumped his fist.</p>
<p>Tony rolled his eyes and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Homework first.”</p>
<p>“I got this!” Harley grinned at Tony and dodged around the counter, all but tripping over his own feet as he dashed for the back room. Already taller than Tony, with awkward, too-long limbs and a predilection for eating everything in sight -- he was going to be at least as tall as his fath--</p>
<p>He was going to be damned tall. Tony shut down the rest of that thought and turned to check on the laptop he’d left defragmenting.</p>
<p>In the back, he could hear the shuffle of notebook pages and the faint sounds of whatever terrible music Harley was into these days. Tony had stopped paying much attention about six months after Harley had graduated from <em>The Itsy Bitsy Spider</em>. He would listen to whatever Harley insisted he needed to hear, politely ask a few questions about the artist or band, and then go cleanse his ears with real music. Thank god for earbuds.</p>
<p>Tony finished up the defrag and started another diagnostic -- the poor laptop was almost ten years old and was only going to last another six months, tops, but damned if he wasn’t going to stretch it out as long as he absolutely could.</p>
<p>Then he turned to the next project that was waiting, a malfunctioning sewing machine that, as near as he could tell, had faults in both the mechanics and the circuit board that operated the embroidery function. He ran a search for the model until he found a decent exploded diagram, and started taking the thing apart. Mechanical glitches were usually easier to diagnose.</p>
<p>He’d gotten deep into the thing’s guts when the shop bell rang again. “Be right with you!” he called without looking up. “I just need to--”</p>
<p>The scent hit him and he stuttered to a halt, his head whipping around as the rest of his body tensed, coiling to run. <em>Alpha</em>. Strong, unmitigated by the accompaniment of an omega, or even a beta.</p>
<p>Tony didn’t usually have too many problems with alphas in the shop. They were often carelessly insulting, certain that a mere O couldn’t possibly have any idea how to handle complex mechanics or information systems. Once in a while, one would hit on him, and then get offended when Tony didn’t succumb immediately to their charms, but they rarely caused real problems. Anyway, that didn’t happen as often now that he was on the wrong side of his thirties.</p>
<p>There had only been a handful of incidents that had resulted in Tony invoking real security measures, but he couldn’t help but be wary at the appearance of an unaccompanied alpha.</p>
<p>This one was <em>big</em>, too, well over six feet and built like a tank. The only softness about him was the longish hair, curling at the ends and escaping the sloppy bun he’d stuffed it in.</p>
<p>“Are you Tony?” he asked, his voice a deep rumble.</p>
<p>“I’m the owner.” Tony didn’t step up to the counter; the alpha’s arms were plenty long enough to reach over it. “Do you have something that needs to be repaired?” <em>Or are you just here to harass an unbonded omega for daring to have a life</em>, he didn’t finish aloud.</p>
<p>“Yeah, I-- Look, this is--”</p>
<p>“Dad?” Harley appeared in the back room doorway, phone held in one hand, practically bristling. “Everything okay? I was just on the phone with Uncle Rhodey and he says his meeting with the senator looks like it might take a little longer, but he can cut it short if you need him to.”</p>
<p><em>Not subtle, kid</em>. Tony must be throwing off tension and nervousness in volumes if Harley had scented it from the back room, but he supposed he should be grateful that Harley was making oblique threats instead of actually swaggering out here to try and put himself physically between Tony and the strange alpha.</p>
<p>The alpha gave Harley a quick once-over and his posture softened. “You’re Tony,” he confirmed. “Nat said you had a kid, ‘bout his age.”</p>
<p>Well, that put a different face on things entirely. If Nat had sent this alpha Tony’s way, then he was probably at least halfway decent. Nat was one of the few alphas Tony trusted; she’d been his lawyer when he’d filed for sole custody of Harley and she’d fought for him almost as hard as he’d fought for himself. And then she’d continued to check in on them every so often ever since. She wasn’t likely to send some stone-age cave-alpha Tony’s way.</p>
<p>“Everything’s fine, Harls,” Tony said.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Harley said slowly, still sizing up the alpha. “I’ll be right here if you need me.”</p>
<p>Tony was washed with fondness, but he doubted Harley would appreciate being hugged while trying so hard to look intimidating. Juvenile alphas were <em>hilarious</em>. “I know where to find you,” he agreed. “Go finish your homework.” He watched until Harley had slumped back through the doorway, then turned back to the customer. “Sorry for the interruption. You were saying you had something for me to fix?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, hang on a sec.” He unzipped his jacket, and Tony was already composing a scathing text to Nat about her poor choice in friends when he shrugged one arm out of its sleeve and--</p>
<p>“Oh, wow.” The alpha’s left arm was a gorgeous metal prosthetic, starting all the way at the top of the shoulder.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” the alpha said, and his shoulders hunched as if he was fighting the urge to hide it.</p>
<p>“It’s giving you trouble?” Tony asked. He walked around the side of the counter to get a closer look.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s, there’s a gummed-up relay or something,” the alpha said.</p>
<p>Tony reached out, then hesitated, glancing up questioningly. The alpha nodded, and Tony smoothed his fingers over the fine joints until he found the maker’s mark along the edge of one plate. “Hydratech?”</p>
<p>“Yeah.”</p>
<p>“I feel obligated to tell you that if you let anyone other than Hydra’s own tech support open this up, you’re voiding your warranty.” Hydratech made beautiful tech, but they were utterly morally bankrupt. They paid off politicians to slither out of trouble over the toxic pollutants their factories spilled and their nonexistent recycling and disposal program, and had no compunction whatsoever about gouging customers on base price, installations, and upkeep. Only some really amazing marketing -- and, to be fair, extremely high-quality products -- kept them in the game.</p>
<p>“Don’t care,” the alpha said. “I’m not going back.”</p>
<p>There was an air of desperate determination about him that Tony found intriguing. “No?”</p>
<p>“No. They’re... Look, I know companies are in it for the profit, but they could at least pretend to see me as something more than a lab rat. And that doctor they’ve got at the local facility...” The alpha shuddered. “So... Nat says you’re the best. Would you be willing to look at it?”</p>
<p>Tony cocked his head to one side, studying the man, trying not to breathe too deeply that rich alpha scent. “You’re willing to put your arm in an omega’s hands?” he challenged.</p>
<p>The alpha shrugged, which was an interesting ripple, the prosthetic shoulder lifting a little slower than the original. “It was an omega who taught me how to shoot,” he said. “Reckon lotta things would be better if we could get past treatin’ Os like brainless bits of fluff too delicate to ever leave the house. You think you can fix me up, then you’re the one I want doin’ the job.”</p>
<p>Well, he knew how to talk the talk. It remained to be seen whether he’d walk the walk. But in the meantime, he was willing to let Tony do the job, which was a good thing.</p>
<p>Tony dragged over a stool. “Have a seat, then, Robocop, and I’ll have a look.” He dragged over his toolkit and put on his glasses. “You got a name I can use, or should I just keep making robotic pop culture references?”</p>
<p>“Uh, mostly my friends call me Bucky.”</p>
<p>“What, really?”</p>
<p>Bucky’s neck turned red. It was kind of cute. “What I get for enlisting alongside the friend I grew up with. Stuck with a dumb kid’s name, just ‘cause there were six different James’ in our class.”</p>
<p>Tony grinned as he pried open the maintenance access panel. Jesus, Hydra really had <em>not</em> wanted people being able to self-service these things; it was just about as inconvenient as it could possibly get. He pulled up a chair and had Bucky prop the arm on the edge of the counter. “Ug,” he complained, grabbing for a penlight, “I hope Hydra gives their techs good insurance, because I can’t imagine working like this all the time. They’d need to see a chiropractor, like, every other day.”</p>
<p>Bucky huffed out a laugh. “I dunno; most of ‘em strike me as <em>order comes from pain</em> fanatics, you know?”</p>
<p>“Far be it from me to kinkshame,” Tony said, peering into the workings of Bucky’s arm, “but ew. Can you make a fist for me? Hm. Oh, I think I see it, hang on. I’m going to disconnect the feedback array here, so you might feel a little jolt of static.”</p>
<p>“You’re turning it off?” Bucky tensed.</p>
<p>“Just while I work on it,” Tony assured him. “Otherwise you’re going to get all kinds of feedback every time I so much as tighten a screw. I don’t know how that would translate in the neural net, but I can’t imagine it would be pleasant.”</p>
<p>“Like pins and needles,” Bucky said, eyes fixed on the far wall. “But with knitting needles. Really sharp ones.”</p>
<p>Tony glanced up at him, frowning. Did those bastards at Hydra do all their work with the feedback array <em>on</em>? Just to save themselves a little hassle? What dicks. “Well, we certainly can’t have that.”</p>
<p>Disconnecting the feedback array was the work of minutes, and the instant the wire came loose, Bucky’s breath blew out in a sigh, his shoulders sagging in sudden relief. Which meant he’d been in constant pain before, even if he hadn’t realized it. Which meant there was more wrong with the arm than a simple gummed-up relay.</p>
<p>Tony reached for a few more tools. This was going to take a little while. “Okay,” he said, “but now you have to tell me how, exactly, you wound up with a nickname like Bucky. Even as a kid’s nickname, that’s a bit weird.”</p>
<p>Bucky let out a little snort, but started telling the story while Tony worked. Tony kept asking questions, at first mostly to keep Bucky distracted and relaxed, and then because he was genuinely funny and interesting.</p>
<p>So interesting, in fact, that Tony was startled when Harley coughed behind him. “Uh, Dad?”</p>
<p>Tony looked up and was shocked to realize that the sun was setting; the shop should have closed almost an hour ago, and his teenager was probably about ready to start gnawing on the countertop if dinner wasn’t obtained soon. “Oh, shit.”</p>
<p>And he was only half-finished with Bucky’s arm. And it was going to take at least another half-hour just to put it all back together, even if he didn’t finish the job today. “<em>Shit</em>,” he repeated. “Harls, I’m sorry, I lost track--”</p>
<p>“Of time,” Harley finished for him, “I know. You got a ways left to go on that?”</p>
<p>Tony grimaced. “Yeah, it’s going to take a little more time.”</p>
<p>“You need t’get going, I can just stick it in a sling for the night and come back tomorrow,” Bucky offered, glancing between Tony and Harley. “Or whenever you have an opening. I’ve done without it before, I can manage a day or two, if I have to.”</p>
<p>“Or,” Harley said, drawing it out, “you could give me some money and I could go down to Ray’s and grab a couple pizzas and bring ‘em back? It’s not like there’s an alpha at home waiting on us.”</p>
<p>Tony only barely restrained himself from facepalming. But it did offer a way out of the situation without neglecting either his customer or his son’s dinner. “Yeah, okay,” he said. He dug out his wallet and handed over a couple of twenties. “Get at least one vegetable on each of them, so I don’t have to feel like I’ve completely failed as a parent.”</p>
<p>“Tomato sauce is a vegetable,” Harley singsonged, snatching the bills from Tony’s hand and beelining for the door.</p>
<p>“Harley--!” The teen was already gone. Tony waited until the door had closed before huffing out a sigh. “Sorry about that. He’s about as subtle as a brick to the face.” Really, Harley was reaching new heights of unsubtle tonight.</p>
<p>Bucky’s eyes were dancing with amusement. “Yeah, well, he’s a kid. He’ll figure it out eventually.” He glanced down at the arm curiously. “How much longer, do you think? I might have to order a pizza of my own.”</p>
<p>“Oh, no, you can have some of ours,” Tony assured him. “At least a couple of slices to hold you until we’re done. It shouldn’t take more than another hour, maybe an hour and a half.”</p>
<p>“You weren’t kidding when you said it needed a complete overhaul, huh?”</p>
<p>“I really wasn’t,” Tony sighed. “I mean, honestly, given my choice, I’d take it completely apart and rebuild it from scratch, but that would take a couple of weeks, and I wouldn’t want you to have to go without for so long.”</p>
<p>“‘Preciate it,” Bucky said. “Maybe I should get your opinion on my next model.”</p>
<p>“If you can scrape together the payment,” Tony said, reaching back into the arm with a pair of tweezers, “Wakanda Tech. They charge like their products are made out of gold and diamonds, but I’ve never heard a single complaint about them failing to live up to spec, and their maintenance and warranty package is really excellent, and for something like this, included in the up-front costs.”</p>
<p>“I’ll look into it,” Bucky promised.</p>
<p>By the time Harley came back with the pizzas (or at least, what remained of the pizzas after his initial assault), Tony was down to the last few steps of the repair and they were deep into a discussion about <em>Star Wars</em>.</p>
<p>Harley joined in on that while they ate, and it was surprisingly comfortable.</p>
<p>Usually, if Tony was working late, Harley would play video games on the shop’s display computers once his homework was done, but when they’d finished the pizza, he muttered something about reading ahead on his English assignment, and disappeared back into the back room.</p>
<p>“Brick to the <em>face</em>,” Tony reiterated, torn between feeling embarrassed that Harley was trying to set him up, and touched that his son was trying to give him space to have some kind of life outside of work and parenting.</p>
<p>Bucky chuckled agreement. “He’s a good kid, though. He’ll do you proud.”</p>
<p>“He already does,” Tony said, knowing he sounded sappy but not really caring. Raising Harley on his own had been harder than he wanted to think about, but absolutely worth it.</p>
<p>An hour later, Tony had finished restoring Bucky’s arm. He reconnected the neural feedback array and basked in the warm praise as Bucky moved his arm and fingers all around, exclaiming over the return of functions he’d lost so gradually he hadn’t even noticed them degrading.</p>
<p>He rang Bucky up and walked the alpha to the door so he could lock up. He might have lingered to watch as Bucky walked down the block and turned the corner, but then he turned to the closing cleanup and shutdown.</p>
<p>When he picked up the pizza boxes, a white card that had apparently been under them fluttered to the floor. It proved to be one of Tony’s own business cards, the ones he kept on the counter for customers to take and, hopefully, pass out to their friends in need. On the back, in a neat, slanted hand, it read: <em>Didn’t want to put you on the spot, but I’d love to take you out for a drink. Text if you’re interested. -B.</em></p>
<p>Tony stared at the note, running his thumb lightly over the phone number printed at the bottom. He’d sworn never to get involved with another alpha. But maybe... Just maybe, this one was actually different.</p>
<p>He tucked the card in his shirt pocket and went back to cleaning.</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Squares:<br/>- BBB: U4 - Take the Shot<br/>- MCUKink: B4 - KissingRating: Gen (chapter)<br/>- SBB: G3 - "Did you just take a picture of me?"<br/>- TSB: K1 - Defense Mechanisms<br/>Rating: T+ (chapter)<br/>Wordcount: 3381 (chapter)</p>
<p>(Full header will be provided on tumblr post.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tony stared into the closet, despairing. What the hell was he supposed to wear? He had a date. With an <em>alpha</em>, for god’s sake, which he hadn’t done since-- Well, not for a long damned time.</p>
<p>He had no idea what he was supposed to wear. They were meeting at a bar for drinks. Not a fancy one, more an old-school, darts-and-pool in the back, beer-and-whiskey kind of bar.</p>
<p>So he wasn’t going to wear anything fancy. Obviously. Jeans were probably the right choice for his bottom half, but <em>which</em> jeans? The really tight ones that showed off his ass? Or was that too provocative for a first date? Maybe he should wear the relaxed-fit ones that were comfortable and a little slouchy. Something to underscore the whole <em>take me as I am or not at all</em> attitude.</p>
<p>And he couldn’t even <em>look</em> at his shirts without having half a panic attack. A button-down wouldn’t be too dressy, and it would show that he was putting a little effort into the whole date thing without trying <em>too</em> hard. But did he really want to show up for a date wearing the same kind of shirt he wore in the store? Would that just look like on-site tech support?</p>
<p>Maybe a t-shirt instead. Something funny, to break the ice? Or something political, just to see how Bucky responded. Or a plain tee with no pictures on it that would draw attention to his shoulders and arms? Shit, what if Bucky didn’t like muscles on his omegas?</p>
<p>No, no, no, he wasn’t going to play <em>that</em> game. If Tony wasn’t what Bucky was looking for, then there just wouldn’t be a second date. Tony wasn’t going to <em>change</em> himself to please an alpha. That was a losing game.</p>
<p>Maybe a tee with a button-down over top of it, left unbuttoned? And if the date went <em>really</em> well, Tony could find an excuse to take the overshirt off and show off his arms. And if it didn’t... he could fake a chill and button up. No, faking a chill might prompt Bucky to put his arm around Tony.</p>
<p>Shit. He hated dating, and he hadn’t even started yet.</p>
<p>Tony glanced at the clock and whined in despair. Okay, <em>okay</em>, clothes. He closed his eyes and reached into the jeans drawer and pulled out the softest pair he had. Straight-leg boot cuts, he saw when he opened his eyes. They hung low on the hips, too -- that was sort of flirty without going all the way to <em>take me now you alpha beast you</em>, Tony thought.</p>
<p>He started to put them on and noticed his underwear. Boxer briefs, snug and comfortable, but not exactly sexy.</p>
<p><em>Shut up</em>, he told himself, <em>we’re not getting that far on the first goddamn date. Doesn’t matter what kind of underwear you’ve got. Worry about that after you’ve figured out if you </em>want <em>him to get your pants off.</em></p>
<p>Right. Sound advice, that. He pulled on the jeans, then took a deep breath and turned to face the shirt rack.</p>
<p>Oh, a band tee. That was a good compromise. Something to talk about, to break the ice, and a little bit of testing the water, too, to see if Bucky was going to hate Tony’s music -- or worse, if Bucky was going to try to convince <em>Tony</em> to hate Tony’s music. Okay, yeah. Good call there.</p>
<p>He didn’t have a lot of time left, so he closed his eyes and grabbed a tee at random. Black Sabbath. Okay, that was acceptable, there weren’t any massive stains or holes in it. And the faded black would go well with the shirt he’d already decided to wear over it, because Natasha had told him once that the dark red really set off his complexion and made his eyes “pop”, whatever the hell that meant.</p>
<p>He almost got stuck in another panic loop trying to figure out what kind of shoes to wear, but then Harley yelled, “Dad? Don’t you have to be leaving soon?” and Tony cursed and grabbed the closest pair that weren’t gym shoes.</p>
<p>“Right,” he said, shoving his phone and wallet into his pockets. “Not sure how late I’ll be. I’ll text if it’ll be later than 11. Keep the door locked while I’m out, do <em>not</em> invite anyone over, and do <em>not</em> watch horror movies alone in the house because I don’t need you to-- Did you just take a picture of me?”</p>
<p>Harley checked his phone. “Yep.” He swiped at the phone and tossed it on the couch.</p>
<p>“Is this revenge for me taking photos of you on the first day of school, or...?”</p>
<p>Harley rolled his eyes and flopped onto the couch next to his phone. “It’s a just-in-case picture.”</p>
<p>“Just in case... what?”</p>
<p>“In case he turns out to be a serial killer or something and I have to tell the police what you were wearing the last time I saw you.”</p>
<p>Tony stared at his son. “...Yeah, okay, no more crime procedurals for you, either.”</p>
<p>“Seriously, Dad, that’s like Dating 101. If he’s too creepy, send me a thumbs-up emoji and I’ll call a few minutes later with some kind of emergency so you have an excuse to leave.”</p>
<p>“I thought you liked the guy,” Tony said, bewildered. “You seemed pretty eager for me to go on this date in the first place.”</p>
<p>“I totally am, you should definitely start dating now that you don’t have to hire a babysitter to leave me home for a few hours,” Harley said firmly. “But anyone can be nice when they’re trying to get something they want. Never hurts have a backup plan. Or three.”</p>
<p>“You are fifteen,” Tony said. “How can you possibly know anything about this?”</p>
<p>Harley rolled his eyes again and didn’t deign to answer that. “Don’t you have <em>any</em> defense mechanisms?” he complained. “Jeez.”</p>
<p>Tony opened his mouth to respond hotly, and then closed it again. To be honest, he... wasn’t sure that he did. He had plenty of strategies for keeping people <em>away</em>. Not so many for protecting himself once they got close.</p>
<p>He was saved the awkwardness of having to admit that he knew less about dating than his fifteen-year-old by the alarm pinging on his phone. “Okay. Going now. Love you, be good, see you in a few hours.”</p>
<p>“Have a good time,” Harley singsonged, already reaching for the TV remote, “but not <em>too</em> good.”</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Bucky had gotten to the bar early. He’d told himself it was because he didn’t want Tony to get there first and get hit on by half a dozen tipsy knotheads while waiting, but mostly, he was just too eager to see Tony again.</p>
<p>Half an hour before their arranged meeting time was probably a little much, though. Ruefully, Bucky ordered a beer and made his way to the back. He snared a handful of darts from the pail and weighed them in his hand. Their flights were bent and dinged up, and they’d probably fly like a drunken owl in a spotlight, but he was just killing time, not trying to show off.</p>
<p>Well, not <em>yet</em>, anyway. If he had a good feel for these darts by the time Tony showed up, he probably wouldn’t be able to resist a little strutting.</p>
<p><em>Only a little</em>, he reminded himself sternly. Tony had been <em>damned</em> skittish before Bucky had dropped Nat’s name, a fear scent so thick that Bucky had almost turned around and left. And the kid, too, at first, popping up with every one of those fledgling protective-alpha instincts practically sparking visibly like an aura. Bucky could be an asshole, but he wasn’t a dick.</p>
<p>He just had to avoid spooking Tony long enough to prove it.</p>
<p>He knew when Tony had arrived without even turning to look. Every alpha in the place went briefly still, the room spiking with tension. Bucky fought down the urge to growl at them all, to rush over and put himself between Tony and the rest of the room.</p>
<p>Tony, he had a feeling, would <em>not</em> appreciate Bucky’s alpha instincts. And Tony was obviously perfectly capable of taking care of himself.</p>
<p>It didn’t make it any easier to stop his lip from curling into a snarl.</p>
<p>“Wouldja look at that,” someone said into the sudden silence. “You come in here lookin’ for a nice fat knot to sit on, ‘meggie?”</p>
<p>“And if I was, what would that have to do with you?” Tony replied cooly. Bucky couldn’t help grinning, even as he turned to greet Tony.</p>
<p>“Hey, Tony!” he called, waving. “Over here.”</p>
<p>Tony looked over and smiled, waving back. “Buck, hey!”</p>
<p>An alpha shoved away from the table where he was sitting with a couple of others and stepped into Tony’s path, looming menacingly. “I think you owe me an apology,” he growled.</p>
<p>“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Bucky complained, raising his voice a little. “Once, <em>just once</em>, I’d like to go out for a drink and not be forced to witness first-hand yet another shining example of why betas and omegas treat us like jokes.” The other alpha had twisted to look at Bucky, but was still blocking Tony’s way. “Could you try <em>not</em> making every other alpha on the planet just that much <em>less</em> desirable? Just this once?”</p>
<p>The alpha’s lips curled to bare his canines. “You want to fight?” he demanded.</p>
<p>Good Christ, Bucky hadn’t gotten into a dominance spat with another alpha since he was a fucking <em>teenager</em>. “Not really,” he said honestly. He wasn’t afraid; he was more than capable of taking down this mountain of gym muscle.</p>
<p>Tony had backed up and was making his way around the alpha’s table by another path. Bucky carefully did not look in his direction, holding the alpha’s gaze and attention. “I just want to have a few drinks, play a few games, chat up my date a little. But if you really want to insist, then we can step outside and go a few rounds.”</p>
<p>Tony made it to Bucky’s side. Bucky felt the urge to push Tony behind him, to protect and defend. He suppressed it. The whole point was that Tony should feel free to act without some knothead interfering. Tony smelled a little cautious, but it wasn’t all the way to fear. Maybe that was a good sign.</p>
<p>“Hope you have good health insurance,” Tony told the asshole brightly. “Buck’s got a hell of a left hook.”</p>
<p>The alpha’s gaze flickered down to Bucky’s left arm. It was mostly covered by his sleeve, but the metal hand was easily visible. The knothead’s eyes widened. “That’s cheating,” he proclaimed. “You can’t fight someone with that thing and call it fair!”</p>
<p>Bucky rolled his eyes and didn’t point out that he’d just said he <em>didn’t</em> want to fight. Because if he was pushed to it, he absolutely would <em>not</em> fight fair.</p>
<p>The other alpha snarled soundlessly, then took out his wallet and threw a few bills on the table. “Come on,” he said to his friends -- neither of whom, Bucky noticed, had so much as stood up to help defend his honor. “We’ll find somewhere better to go.”</p>
<p>There was a palpable release of tension as they left. The other alphas in the room didn’t seem to be quite so stupid, accepting Bucky’s apparent claim on the unbonded omega and turning back to their own drinks and company.</p>
<p>“Sorry ‘bout that,” Bucky said. “We can go somewhere else, if you’d rather.”</p>
<p>Tony waved carelessly. “And deprive the establishment of <em>two</em> sets of paying customers for the evening? It’s fine, he’s gone, no harm done.” And if his hand was shaking, just a little, then only Bucky could see it, and Tony probably wouldn’t appreciate the notice.</p>
<p>“Okay,” Bucky said instead. “Let’s get you a drink. You want to play a round of darts?”</p>
<p>Tony hummed and looked around the little game area, set off from the rest of the bar in a sort of wide nook. “I will play darts,” he agreed, “but don’t expect much in the way of competition. I’m better at pool.”</p>
<p>“One game of darts, and then we’ll switch?” Bucky nodded toward the bucket of darts. “You, uh, you look nice. By the way.” Oh, hell, what even was his mouth doing?</p>
<p>Tony shot him a somewhat dubious smile. “It’s just jeans, nothing special.”</p>
<p>“Pretty sure anything would look special on you,” Bucky returned, and that was better. That put a faint flush on Tony’s cheeks that Bucky liked. “It’s a little more casual,” he added, “than before. I like it.”</p>
<p>Tony was better at darts than Bucky expected, but Bucky only knew one other person who even stood a chance of besting him. They were only halfway through the game when Tony started casting little amused looks in Bucky’s direction.</p>
<p>“Are you peacocking?” he wondered a few throws later.</p>
<p>“What? No, I just--” Heat climbed out of Bucky’s collar. “Maybe a little,” he admitted. “Not on purpose. Sorry.”</p>
<p>Tony laughed as he toed the line and took aim. “It’s okay, I’m already impressed.”</p>
<p>“Yeah?” That flush on the back of Bucky’s neck wasn’t going anywhere, but if Tony liked it, then maybe it was worth it.</p>
<p>Fifteen minutes later, they tossed their darts back into the bucket and selected a pair of slightly-battered pool cues. Bucky waved carelessly at Tony to rack and break while he waved down the waitress for a fresh round of drink and some snacks.</p>
<p>The crack of the balls turned his head, just in time to see two balls slither in opposite directions and drop into their respective pockets, <em>thunk thunk</em>. “Oh, nice break.”</p>
<p>Tony flashed him a quick grin, then walked around the table slowly, eyeing the spread.</p>
<p>There were a couple of reasonable shots on the table, and one or two more challenging combos, and Bucky sipped his beer as he watched Tony circle, eyes gone predator-intent. He wouldn’t mind having Tony look at him like that, he thought, focused and a little hungry.</p>
<p>Tony didn’t go for the easy shots, and he didn’t choose a shot that would let him bend over and put his ass on display for Bucky -- though Bucky absolutely would not have minded that, either. He wound up on the far side of the table from Bucky, leaning in to line up a shot that would send the cue ball... nowhere useful, as far as Bucky could tell. Smack into the middle of an ugly cluster.</p>
<p>He walked partway around the table to try to get a better angle, but it still looked like a junk shot. Why would Tony make a shot like that with at least two easy options on the table? “The heck are you doing?”</p>
<p>Tony didn’t look at him, utterly focused on the ball, making tiny little adjustments to the angle of his cue. “Peacocking,” he said, his lips twitching.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Bucky studied the table again, and there was <em>something</em>, maybe, about that cluster, but... “Well, go on, then,” he challenged. “Take the shot.”</p>
<p>Tony’s arm moved with a precision that was eerily mechanical, fast and smooth, and the cue ball spun away, just a hint of a curve on it. <em>Clack-thunk-clack-clack-thunk. Clack.</em></p>
<p>Two more pockets, and the balls rolled to a stop, perfectly situated for Tony to easily clear at least two more before Bucky so much as took his first shot. “Oh my god,” he whispered, awed, “you’re some kind of... savant.”</p>
<p>Tony laughed, straightening up and rolling the kinks out of his neck. “Just very, very good with geometry,” he countered. He glanced at Bucky, then reached for his drink. There was something tentative in his stance, something wary.</p>
<p>Waiting, Bucky realized, for him to be offended that a <em>mere omega</em> had so thoroughly outclassed him. But Bucky had already known Tony was smarter than him, just from his trip to the repair shop. So he just nudged the plate of nachos a little closer to Tony’s side of the table and asked what was the weirdest thing Tony’d ever had to repair.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>First dates didn’t <em>really</em> count for getting to know someone, Tony reminded himself. Everyone was on their best behavior. Someone who couldn’t make a good showing for a first date definitely didn’t deserve a second.</p>
<p>But he wanted to believe that it could keep being like this. Easy and laughing, playfully flirtatious. He wanted to believe Bucky really was as interested in what Tony had to say as it seemed. He wanted to believe that Bucky saw him as a <em>person</em> and not an ornament or a sex toy or a caretaker.</p>
<p>Bucky had offered to see him home, and he’d accepted, eager to continue their conversation. To prolong the evening as much as he could. But all too soon, he could see the lights of the shop looming ahead, and he wasn’t ready for Bucky to know where he lived, just yet.</p>
<p>“This is good,” he said.</p>
<p>Bucky frowned at the shop, and then nodded. “Oh. Yeah, yeah, that makes sense, I get it. You’ll be okay?”</p>
<p>Tony nodded. “I’m good from here.”</p>
<p>“Okay,” Bucky said again. “I... I had a real good time,” he said, a hint of blush peeking out of his collar. It was adorable, how easily flustered Bucky was. “We could, uh, if you wanted? I’d like to do it again sometime.”</p>
<p>“I’d like that,” Tony said.</p>
<p>Bucky’s smile could have lit up the whole street. “Yeah? That’s great! I’ll text you tomorrow and we can figure something out?” He hesitated. “Is that too soon? My friends keep telling me there’s all these rules now, and I can’t make heads or tails of ‘em.”</p>
<p>“Tomorrow’s fine,” Tony agreed. “Harley keeps trying to tell me all the rules, too, and I guess they work for kids, but I’m too old to try to act like I don’t care just so I can score some obscure points.”</p>
<p>“Anything but old,” Bucky protested. “But yeah, that’s it, it’s just... playing games.” He swayed closer. “I don’t want to play games.” He bit his lip, and Tony couldn’t help looking. “Tony, I, uh, I swear I won’t be hurt or anything if you say no, but... can I kiss you?”</p>
<p>Tony’s heart thumped hard in his chest, a prisoner demanding that it be set free. He nodded dumbly, letting himself be drawn in.</p>
<p>Bucky’s hand cupped Tony’s jaw, fingers lightly brushing his ear, his throat, and held him gently as Bucky’s mouth descended on Tony’s. It was just a light brush of lips, a hint of warm breath, and then Bucky came back for more, cautious and undemanding, but with a hint of barely-restrained passion that set Tony’s blood racing.</p>
<p>Bucky’s tongue flicked at Tony’s lip, just a little, and then he pulled back with a soft moan of reluctance. He was breathing heavier, too, his eyes wide and dark. “God, that was...”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Tony said.</p>
<p>They stood like that for another minute, staring at each other, unable to look away, until finally Bucky rubbed his thumb down the side of Tony’s cheek and dropped his hand again. “I should... let you get home,” he said. “Harley’s probably waitin’ up for you.”</p>
<p>“Probably.” Tony made himself take a step back, but god, it was hard to pull himself out of Bucky’s orbit.</p>
<p>“Thanks for tonight,” Bucky said, taking his own step back, eyes never leaving Tony’s. “I’ll text you tomorrow, yeah?”</p>
<p>“I’m looking forward to it.” Nothing but the unvarnished truth, there.</p>
<p>Bucky took another step, and another, before he finally managed to turn around to walk back down the sidewalk. Tony watched until he got to the end of the block, when he turned back, and that smile lit up his face again as he waved.</p>
<p>Tony waved back, then finally got himself moving. Home, where he would probably find Harley sleeping in front of the TV, ready to ask Tony dozens of nosy questions as Tony shooed him off to bed. And then to bed, himself, to stare up at the ceiling and go over the whole evening in his mind, turning over every facet until he finally succumbed to sleep to dream of that kiss.</p>
<p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Squares:<br/>- BBB: U5 - Abandonment Issues<br/>- SBB: B2 - "Well, this is awkward"<br/>- TSB: S1 - Rescue<br/>Rating: T+ (chapter)<br/>Wordcount: 2300 (chapter)</p><p>(Full header will be provided on tumblr post.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Okay, so what’s the plan?” Tony asked as he locked up the shop. Harley was having a sleepover with a couple of friends -- they had epic plans for video games and movies, apparently -- and so he’d eagerly agreed to a late-evening date. Bucky had arrived at the shop just as he’d been cleaning up for the night.</p><p>Bucky greeted Tony with a quick kiss, and drew Tony’s hand through the crook of his arm as they walked. Which was exactly the sort of old-fashioned thing Bucky was prone to doing, and which Tony refused to admit made him feel all melty and gooey inside.</p><p>“It’s our tenth date,” Bucky pointed out, flashing Tony that sweet, almost shy smile. “So I got something special for us.”</p><p>Tony was considering something special for them, too, but that would be after the date. If he decided to go through with it. “Oh yeah? Going to tell me what it is?”</p><p>“Ice cream.”</p><p>Tony leaned to the side to give Bucky a dubious look, though not far enough to actually let go of the alpha. “We’ve had ice cream before,” he said. “Our fourth date. After the movie.”</p><p>“Not like this, we haven’t,” Bucky promised.</p><p>He took Tony down the street several blocks, then turned and led them several blocks further. “Are we going to the Arctic for this ice cream?” Tony teased.</p><p>Bucky grinned at him and winked, and Tony pretended that it hadn’t very nearly made him stumble over his own feet. “Not too much further, doll. What’s your favorite flavor?”</p><p>“Mint chocolate chip,” Tony said readily. “What’s yours?” The ice cream they’d gotten before had been from a street cart that was dumping the last of its inventory before packing up for the night, and the flavor selection had been limited.</p><p>“Gotta promise you won’t laugh,” Bucky said.</p><p>“I promise no such thing,” Tony shot back. He poked at Bucky’s side. “I’m going to find out, you might as well just tell me!”</p><p>The back of Bucky’s neck pinked. “Cotton candy.”</p><p>“What, seriously?”</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Isn’t that, y’know, a <em>kid</em> flavor?”</p><p>Bucky shrugged. “I just like it.”</p><p>Tony considered teasing him some more, but he didn’t really want to. “Okay,” he said, leaning into Bucky’s side. “It could be worse, I guess. You could like butter pecan.”</p><p>“What’s wrong with butter pecan?”</p><p>“Bucky! Butter pecan is <em>old people</em> ice cream!” Tony pretended to be offended while Bucky laughed.</p><p>Being with Bucky was... easy. He didn’t feel like he was trying to Be An Omega, or that he was trying to conform to some invisible and constantly-shifting list of expectations. He didn’t have to flutter or appeal to Bucky’s strength or try to tone down his own intelligence or even pretend to like all those “traditional” omega hobbies like gardening or cooking. He liked stupid sci-fi movies and working on engines and mechanics and computers, and Bucky not only <em>didn’t mind</em> Tony’s idiosyncrasies, Bucky <em>liked</em> them.</p><p>Ten dates over three months was probably too soon to start thinking about using the word “love,” but Tony wasn’t <em>not</em> thinking about it, either.</p><p>The ice cream parlor that Bucky eventually led him to was a tiny little hole in the wall that advertised ice cream made fresh daily, right there in the store, and promised the freshest ingredients, fair trade and locally-sourced wherever possible.</p><p>Bucky lifted his free hand to the guy at the counter. “Hey, Scott!”</p><p>“Bucky!” Scott was a beta with a wide, bright smile, and Tony didn’t think it was a Customer Service Smile(TM). Or at least, if it was, it was impressive enough to pass for real. “This your guy?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Bucky wrapped his arm around Tony’s shoulders for a little squeeze. “Tony, this is Scott. We go back to--”</p><p>“A long time ago,” Scott interrupted. “You know I’m allergic to those numbers. You’re after the anniversary special, right?”</p><p>“You bet,” Bucky agreed. “Line ‘em up.”</p><p>Scott tossed out a faux-salute and ducked under the counter, emerging with an elongated bowl, like the kind used for banana splits. Only at least twice as long.</p><p>“What...”</p><p>“Ten dates, ten scoops of ice cream!” Bucky said cheerfully. “All different! You pick the first.”</p><p>“Oh my god,” Tony laughed. “There is no way we’re eating <em>ten scoops</em> of ice cream!”</p><p>“Never say never!” Bucky said. “Pick!”</p><p>Tony couldn’t stop laughing. “Mint chocolate chip, then.”</p><p>“Cotton candy.”</p><p>“Rocky Road.”</p><p>“Butter pecan,” Bucky said, eyes twinkling. Scott was loading up the tray starting at one end, grinning as he watched them.</p><p>“Your abominations are going to be contaminating my Rocky Road!” Tony complained. “Fine, uh, Double chocolate.”</p><p>“I’m sensing a theme here,” Bucky said. “You like chocolate, doll?”</p><p>“Who doesn’t like chocolate?” Tony wondered.</p><p>“Strawberry.”</p><p>“Another old person ice cream.”</p><p>“It’s a classic for a reason,” Bucky retorted.</p><p>“Ugh, fine. Pistachio.”</p><p>“Oh, <em>now</em> who’s ordering old-person ice cream?” Bucky poked Tony in the side until he squeaked. “Caramel ribbon.”</p><p>“Finally, something edible.” Tony evaded another poke and looked over the options. “Bourbon and browned butter? That, I have to try.”</p><p>“And we’ll wrap it up with Toasted Coconut.”</p><p>Scott covered the ice cream with cherries and a truly obnoxious amount of whipped cream, and tucked a pair of spoons into it on each end. “There you go! You two lovebirds have fun!”</p><p>Tony felt his cheeks heat, but Bucky just grinned and led him to a table. He turned the long bowl sideways between them, and waved to indicate that Tony should start.</p><p>They did not, as it happened, finish the ice cream, but they got a lot further than Tony would have expected, laughing and teasing and talking about everything and nothing.</p><p>It was an amazing evening, and Tony was very definitely leaning toward asking Bucky to escort him <em>all</em> the way home, and then... a little further.</p><p>When Bucky excused himself to the bathroom, Tony wandered back up to the counter to order a couple of coffees to go.</p><p>“You got it, man,” Scott said cheerfully. He pulled out a pair of cups and... no coffee came out of the carafe. “Shhhamrocks,” Scott swore.</p><p>“Nice recovery,” Tony chuckled. “So is that a no on the coffee?”</p><p>“Nah, you’re with Bucky; I’ll make ‘em in the Keurig in the staff room, if you’re okay with that?”</p><p>“Long as there’s caffeine involved,” Tony agreed.</p><p>Scott saluted him and dashed through the EMPLOYEES ONLY door, coffee cups in hand. Tony fished out his wallet to find something to stuff in the tips jar.</p><p>“Well, this is awkward.”</p><p>Tony froze.</p><p>He knew that voice.</p><p>He wasn’t supposed to have to ever hear that voice again.</p><p>He turned around carefully.</p><p>Ty didn’t seem to have aged one bit. Well, that wasn’t true; he didn’t look twenty-five anymore. But he was wearing his forty-something very, <em>very</em> well.</p><p>“Tony, darling, what a surprise.”</p><p>There was an omega on his arm, because of course there was. Ty was handsome and moderately wealthy and so very charming when he wanted to be. The omega was young, probably not much more than the twenty-two Tony had been when--</p><p>“Restraining order,” Tony gritted out. He backed away a step.</p><p>“What’s that?” Ty feigned confusion.</p><p>“<em>Restraining order,</em>” Tony repeated. “You’re not supposed to--” His back hit the wall, rattling the signboard describing the flavor of the day, though he didn’t remember taking another step. “Five hundred feet,” he said firmly.</p><p>The omega blinked at Ty in what looked like real confusion. “What’s he rambling about?”</p><p>“Nothing, don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Ty said, and showed Tony his teeth. “Darling, I’m afraid you’re mistaken. That order was for fifteen years.”</p><p>Tony’s heart jumped in his chest and began running like a rabbit. That was... that was true, fifteen years, and Harley had been just eight months old, which meant that Tony had been walking around without the protection of the restraining order for <em>two whole months</em>.</p><p>The air was thin, suddenly, and Tony couldn’t seem to suck enough of it into his lungs. The edges of his vision turned black until all he could see was Ty, that cruel smile spreading over that handsome face. “Did you think I’d <em>forget</em>, sweetmeat?” Ty purred. “Did you think you’d just swan off into the sunset with my son?”</p><p>“He’s not yours,” Tony insisted. Or tried, but he could seem to draw enough of a breath to get any words out.</p><p>“Tony?”</p><p>Tony knew that voice, too. That was... Was...</p><p>He couldn’t think.</p><p>“Sweetheart, what’s wrong, what’s-- Who the hell are you?”</p><p>Ty laughed. “Got yourself a protector, did you? Spread your legs enough, and I’m sure even you could find someone willing to fuck you.”</p><p>The words dropped into Tony’s ears like acid, but he couldn’t entirely make sense of them. When had he slid to the floor? He curled his arms over his head and tried to <em>breathe</em>. It was like sucking air through hot sand, painful and all but pointless.</p><p>There were voices, not loud but snarling, several of them, too many, too many...</p><p>“<em>Hand over the brat, and I won’t have you arrested for kidnapping.”</em></p><p>“<em>So you can turn him into another entitled alpha knothead? No, Ty, I’m done with letting you threaten me.”</em></p><p>“Done,” Tony mumbled, and repeated, “<em>Done</em>.”</p><p>He surged to his feet. Bucky and Ty, growling at each other and probably only inches from starting a fight, both turned to look at him. “Done,” Tony announced. “It’s over, it’s <em>done</em>, Ty. You lost. He’s mine, and you don’t get to have anything to do with him. You don’t get to ruin my life. You don’t get to <em>leave me</em> when you find out I’m pregnant and then come back when you find out the baby’s an alpha to collect him like he’s a sweater you left on the floor of my closet.</p><p>“He’s <em>mine</em>, and you’re... You’re <em>nothing</em>.”</p><p>Tony’s heart was still rabbiting and his hand shook as he reached for Bucky. <em>Please, don’t let him be too far gone...</em></p><p>But Bucky took Tony’s hand immediately, drew Tony up against his side protectively. “I’ve got you,” he said softly. “What do you want to do, honey? You want to call the cops?”</p><p>Tony shook his head. The restraining order had expired. There wasn’t much the police could do; legally, Ty had every right to be here. “I want to go home,” he said plaintively.</p><p>“Anything,” Bucky promised. “I’ve got you, come on.”</p><p>Walking was a thing he could do. In theory. His knees nearly buckled as he took his first step, though, and then Bucky’s arm was around him, supporting him.</p><p>“We’re going to go home,” Bucky was saying, soothing and gentle, “and then we’ll call Natasha, okay? She’ll know what to do.”</p><p>Tony nodded. He shot Ty a glare -- Ty was staring at him in shock, and the omega he’d come in with was looking at Ty through narrowed eyes. Tony squared his shoulders as Bucky ushered him out of the shop.</p><p>He didn’t stop shaking for several blocks, though. “Oh god,” he gasped, leaning against a wall and covering his face with his hands. “I’m so sorry, I ruined--”</p><p>“Hey, hey,” Bucky said, “you didn’t ruin anything, doll. That’s all on him.” His hands were on Tony’s shoulders, rubbing lightly. “That was...”</p><p>“Harley’s dad,” Tony confirmed, shuddering.</p><p>“Nah. that’s <em>you</em>. That guy? Just a sperm donor. Harley ain’t a thing like him, and that’s all down to you.”</p><p>Harley was a good kid, whether Tony had anything to do with that or not. Tony shuddered to think how Ty would have insisted on raising him.</p><p>“Let me take you home,” Bucky urged gently. “Indulge my ridiculous alpha urges to see you safe, huh?”</p><p>And that was the difference, right there. Ty’s <em>alpha urges</em> were all about getting what <em>Ty</em> wanted, about having an omega to serve him.</p><p>Bucky’s urges were about making sure his friends and his family were cared for and protected, about cherishing and providing for his omega.</p><p>Still, the part of him that had been burned one too many times in the past was cautious. “If I said I wanted to go home alone...” he said.</p><p>For just an instant, Bucky looked like he might protest, but then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, letting it out slow. “You gotta do what’ll make you feel safest,” he said, though Tony could tell he wasn’t happy about it. His eyes ticked up, scanning the street, before he looked back at Tony. “Would you... just text me when you get there? I’d like to know you got home safe.”</p><p>Yes, Bucky would fight down all those <em>alpha urges</em> if Tony didn’t want them interfering in his life, would accept that Tony was going to make decisions that he didn’t always agree with and look for a way to compromise.</p><p>The last clinging thread of Tony’s hesitance snapped, and he reached out to take Bucky’s hand. “I changed my mind. I’d feel better if you came with me.”</p><p>The relief in Bucky’s expression was palpable. “Thank Christ,” he sighed. “I really don’t care for the thought of you walking around alone, not with that prick wandering the area. Especially since we kinda put his back up.”</p><p>Tony tugged lightly, pulling Bucky down the street toward his apartment building. “Yeah,” he agreed. “Would you... stay for a while? I don’t want to be alone, and Harley’s at a friend’s.”</p><p>“Anything you want,” Bucky agreed readily. “I can stay over if you’d like. Give me a pillow and a blanket and I can sleep just about anywhere. Couch, floor, wherever you’ve got space.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m pretty sure I can find a spot for you.” <em>Right next to me, in my bed.</em></p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Squares:<br/>- BBB: Y2 - Kink: BDSM<br/>- MCUKink: G2 - Ravishment<br/>- SBB: B3 - "Is it possible to love too much?"<br/>- TSB: R1 - Thoughts <br/>Rating: E (chapter)<br/>Wordcount: 4060 (chapter)</p>
<p>(Full header will be provided on tumblr post.)</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Tony felt that first overwarm flush that signaled an oncoming heat -- not in his face or his neck or even his crotch but, ridiculously, in his feet and hands and armpits -- it took him somewhat by surprise. His heats had slowed down and spaced out after Harley’s birth. The stress of being a single parent with a small child and trying to run a business had combined with the simple and undeniable fact of his aging had pushed them even farther apart until he was only having them twice a year. And over the last five years or so, they’d ebbed in intensity, too.</p>
<p>But here it had been only four months since his last heat, and there was that prickling sensation in his hands and his toes like a case of pins and needles that just would <em>not stop</em>.</p>
<p>He sighed and reached for his phone. “May, hey, how’s it going? Did Pete like the new kit?” May Parker walking into Tony’s shop had been one of the best things that had ever happened to him.</p>
<p>“Tony,” she greeted him warmly. “He loved it, of course. You really shouldn’t have.”</p>
<p>Tony smiled fondly. “A kid only turns thirteen once. Besides, I have to keep my best customer coming back,” he said lightly. “But I might have a favor to ask.”</p>
<p>“You know I’ll help out if I can,” she promised. “What is it?”</p>
<p>He huffed out another sigh. “It’s <em>that</em> time, apparently, and I wasn’t expecting it -- I swear, I didn’t count wrong, it’s come on <em>super</em> early for some reason.”</p>
<p>“Mm,” May hummed thoughtfully. “How long have you been seeing that alpha of yours?”</p>
<p><em>Four months, three weeks, and two days. But who’s counting?</em> “Ah, four, four and a half months?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” May said, laughter in her voice, “you’re not early, you’re just not suppressing anymore. Spend enough time around an A, and biology thinks it’s time to crank up the factory.”</p>
<p>“Maybe. Probably.” Tony hadn’t even thought about that. Ug, squishy science. “But anyway, it means I’m not going to be able to run the shop for a few days, and I was wondering if you’d be willing to take on a shift or two.” She’d covered for him once before, when he’d had to take Harley to the doctor. She couldn’t repair things, much, but she’d done pretty well at writing up the problem for him to resolve later. “It’s fine if you want to bring Peter along, even, I just--”</p>
<p>“Better yet,” May said calmly, “why don’t you send Harley to stay with us for the duration, and he can watch Peter while I’m at the store. And then you’ve got some privacy at your place for you and your guy.”</p>
<p>Oh, <em>there</em> went the actual blush. His last heat, he and Bucky had only barely started dating, so he’d just bowed out of one date they’d had planned and waited it out in his room, like usual. He’d been braced for Bucky to press for them to spend it together, but Bucky had accepted Tony’s decision with not so much as a grumble. He’d texted a few times, but it hadn’t been gross or creepy, just checking whether Tony was doing okay and reminding him to stay hydrated.</p>
<p>Now, though... They’d been having sex for a while, and Bucky had proven himself a <em>magnificent</em> lover, tender and rough and caring and kinky in all the best ways. And while he wasn’t perfect, well, neither was Tony. And though they’d fought a few times, Bucky had never so much as threatened to raise a hand to Tony, never tried to interfere with Tony’s parenting, never threatened to walk away if Tony didn’t toe some invisible line.</p>
<p>Tony was entirely certain that if he told Bucky he was spending this heat alone again, Bucky would accept it without complaint.</p>
<p>Which only made Tony that much more certain that he <em>didn’t</em> want to be alone, this heat.</p>
<p>“Thanks, May,” he said, grateful she couldn’t see him blushing through the phone. “You’re a lifesaver. I’ll write up some basic troubleshooting guides, and, uh.” He was having trouble concentrating already, the buzzing sensation in his fingertips and toes dragging his attention away from his thoughts.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” May said gently. “Go get everything ready. We’ve got this.”</p>
<p>He made himself text the plan to Harley and then spend a couple of hours typing up some simple troubleshooting instructions for May, the most common issues that he saw.</p>
<p>By then, it was almost time to close for the day, so he closed down the shop a little early, turning on the scent neutralizer in the air conditioning system, and took himself home. Harley was already packed when he came in through the door, a duffle bag by the door.</p>
<p>Harley’s nose wrinkled when Tony came all the way in -- alphas and omegas tended to dislike the heat and rut scents of close relatives once they were out of young childhood -- but he hugged Tony in greeting anyway. “I made your tea,” he said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the kitchen.</p>
<p>There was a bright red ceramic teapot on the counter, steam still wafting gently from the spout. Tony had been using the same herbal tea since before Harley was born for his pre-heat cramps. The company had almost discontinued it a couple of years ago, but apparently Tony wasn’t the only omega who relied on it; the outcry had convinced the company to bring it back.</p>
<p>“Thanks, kiddo,” Tony said. “You’re a good kid.”</p>
<p>Harley rolled his eyes. “Don’t tell anyone else or my rep’s up in smoke.”</p>
<p>“Your secret is safe with me,” Tony promised, chuckling. “Have you had dinner yet?”</p>
<p>“Nah, Mrs. P texted and said she’d order pizza for us.”</p>
<p>It was Tony’s turn to roll his eyes. “You’re going to turn into a pizza,” he teased, “as much of it as you eat.”</p>
<p>“There are worse fates,” Harley said cheerfully. He reached over to ruffle Tony’s hair and snagged his duffle bag. “See you in a few days, Dad.”</p>
<p>“You bet. Text when you get there, be good for Mrs. Parker, help her out at the shop if you can, and try to eat a vegetable at some point.” He considered going for another hug -- pre-heat always made him feel touch-starved and clingy -- but managed to hold himself back. No sense making Harley smell it halfway to the Parkers’.</p>
<p>“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Harley waved again and slipped out the door, and Tony resisted the urge to go to the window and watch the street until Harley emerged.</p>
<p>Instead, he went into the kitchen and poured a cup of the tea. It worked best if it was still hot and if he drank it before the cramps started in full force. As he sipped, he thumbed on his phone.</p>
<p>To Bucky: What’s the rest of your week look like?</p>
<p>It took fifteen minutes or so for Bucky to respond, in which time Tony had finished his cup of tea, rinsed it out, and wandered aimlessly into the bedroom to start denning.</p>
<p>Bucky: Got PT tomorrow morning, nothing else urgent. What’s up?</p>
<p>Tony stared at the screen for a long minute, trying to figure out how to respond. Simple and direct, he thought, because one of their few arguments had been about Tony’s tendency to hint at things rather than come out and say them.</p>
<p>To Bucky: My heat’s coming on early. If you’re free, want to spend it with you.</p>
<p>The little “...” that meant Bucky was typing appeared immediately. Then disappeared. Then came back. Then disappeared again.</p>
<p>Bucky: I would love to. Can I come over right after PT or do you need me earlier?</p>
<p>Tony was alone in his room, in the apartment, so there was no one to see how brightly he was blushing.</p>
<p>To Bucky: After PT is fine. Bring lunch?</p>
<p>Bucky: You got it, doll.</p>
<p>Tony grinned foolishly down at his phone for a long moment before he winced and went to get a heat pack and another cup of tea.</p>
<p> </p>
<hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Bucky could smell Tony from the hallway outside the apartment. It was subtle -- he didn’t think some random passerby would notice it -- but it definitely wasn’t his imagination, either. Tony’s everyday scent was like new grass and motor oil and metal; his heat scent added a sweet coconut overtone to the rest.</p>
<p>He stood there, eyes closed and breathing it in, for several long minutes. He almost couldn’t believe he was here, that Tony was trusting him with this already, as skittish as Tony had been about alphas when they’d first started dating. As skittish as he still could be, some days.</p>
<p>Having pieced together a little of what he’d gone through with Harley’s father, and before that, when he’d been in college, Bucky couldn’t blame him, even if Natasha had managed to get the restraining order against Tony’s ex reinstated for another five years.</p>
<p>It had just made him that much more determined to show Tony that the existence of a knot didn’t guarantee its owner was a knot<em>head</em>.</p>
<p>And now he was here, preparing to share Tony’s heat.</p>
<p>“Barnes, get in here!” Tony called from inside. “I can smell you out there!”</p>
<p>Bucky grinned and opened the door.</p>
<p>Inside the apartment, the smell was <em>much</em> stronger. Bucky locked the door behind him and leaned on it, suddenly weak-kneed with wanting. “Oh my god, doll, you smell like <em>heaven</em>.” He pushed away from the door and took the bag from the deli into the kitchen, then followed his nose into Tony’s bedroom.</p>
<p>On the bed, blankets and pillows had been piled into a cozy nest, but Tony was sprawled on top of it, spread-eagled and naked, head fallen back to bare his throat. Despite two different fans set up on opposite sides of the bed to blow cooling air over it, he was flushed and covered with a fine sheen of sweat. </p>
<p>Bucky wanted to drag his tongue over that tempting skin, to sink his teeth into Tony’s shoulder and neck in undeniable <em>claim</em>.</p>
<p>“How the hell did you smell me from way back in here?” Bucky wondered instead. He dropped his gym bag with its extra clothes and supplies, then kicked off his shoes and stripped off his shirt. There was a time for slow seduction and languorous undressing. Early in a heat cycle was not that time.</p>
<p>Tony whined wordlessly. “Everything’s cranked up to eleven,” he complained. “I can smell Harley’s dirty socks.” He lifted his head to look at Bucky. “You smell a lot better than dirty socks.”</p>
<p>Bucky laughed as he shucked his pants and crawled up onto the bed. “I should hope so.”</p>
<p>He greeted Tony with a kiss, and Tony was already rolling up against Bucky’s body, wordlessly demanding. “I gotcha, doll, I’m gonna take care of you,” Bucky murmured. Tony’s skin was radiating heat, at least two degrees over baseline already.</p>
<p>Tony pushed his face into the curve of Bucky’s throat, breathing in deep. “Oh, gods, it’s been so long since I actually had an alpha for this,” he sighed, some of the tension easing out of him as he took another long breath. “Want you.”</p>
<p>“You’ve got me,” Bucky promised. He worked a hand down between them, urging Tony’s leg up to wrap around his hip, and dipped down to press against Tony’s hole, testing its tightness. He was already plenty slick, but the muscles hadn’t yet completely relaxed, so Bucky worked in a couple of fingers, stretching.</p>
<p>“Bucky,” Tony whined, “not enough!”</p>
<p>“I know, baby, I’m workin’ on it. Not going to hurt you, what kind of alpha would that make me?”</p>
<p>Tony didn’t answer that, just hummed and pushed his face up against Bucky’s neck again. His hands clenched at Bucky’s shoulders, his legs wrapped around Bucky’s hips as his own body undulated upward, seeking more, desperate and needy.</p>
<p>It didn’t take long, though, not with the heat well in progress and Tony greedily breathing in every bit of Bucky’s scent, letting the alpha pheromones do their work. Another few careful twists with his fingers, and Bucky was fumbling at the nightstand, hoping to god that Tony already had condoms so he wouldn’t have to go rummage in his bag.</p>
<p>Tony, as usual, was well-prepared. Bucky rolled one on and sank into Tony’s body with a groan of ecstasy.</p>
<p>“Bucky, oh fuck, I need--”</p>
<p>“I’ve got you,” Bucky gasped. His arms curled around Tony’s back and shoulders as he pressed deeper, pulling Tony up against his body, tucked up close. Safe. <em>Mine</em>. “Christ, you feel so good, doll, so perfect, I can’t believe--”</p>
<p>Tony licked at Bucky’s neck, scraped his teeth over Bucky’s throat. “Alpha,” he begged, and it set Bucky on <em>fire</em>.</p>
<p>Bucky was a firm believer in omega rights and equality. He’d always thought that societies where omegas ruled made more sense than his own stupidly alpha-dominated society. But that worshipful tone made him want to howl in triumph, to clutch his prize to him and bare his teeth at the world in defiance.</p>
<p>Tony was... laughing? Just a little, between delectable moans.</p>
<p>“Are you laughin’ at me?”</p>
<p>Another breathless giggle escaped. “Just a little,” Tony admitted. “I’m the one supposed to be out of control, but one little show of submission and you’re ready to fall into rut.” His voice went high-pitched and warbly. “Oh, alpha, <em>ravish</em> me...”</p>
<p>Bucky ducked his head. “It’s stupid, you know I don’t really want you to be all...” Stereotypically omega, docile and obedient. The idea of Tony being any of those things was laughable, and not at all what Bucky wanted.</p>
<p>“I know,” Tony said. He squeezed with his legs, pushing himself up, impaling himself deeper onto Bucky’s cock with a groan. “That’s why I know it’s safe to laugh.”</p>
<p>That Tony trusted Bucky, after suffering so many reasons <em>not</em> to trust an alpha -- <em>any</em> alpha -- was one of the most remarkable things about him.</p>
<p>“Yeah?” Bucky reached up and gathered Tony’s hands, holding his wrists and leaning into the pillows, pinning him in place. “Laugh at this, then: I ain’t gonna knot you ‘til you’ve come at least three times first. How’s that for ravished?”</p>
<p>Tony’s breath caught, snagged, and Bucky pulled back to look, checking in with a raised eyebrow. All Tony had to do was say no, he didn’t want to play those kinds of games now, and Bucky would let him go, go back to the highly enjoyable fucking they were already doing, give him the knot he needed and be grateful for it.</p>
<p>But Tony’s eyes were round and dark and he pulled in a handful of fast, rough-edged breaths before letting out a faint whine. His gaze dropped until those long eyelashes fluttered against his cheek and he whispered, “Yes, alpha.”</p>
<p>Oh, god. Was it possible to love someone too much? Bucky felt so full of it that he might explode. <em>I am going to marry this man</em>.</p>
<p>Bucky gave Tony’s wrists a little squeeze, pressing them a bit harder into the pillow -- <em>keep them there</em> -- and then bent his neck to suck one of Tony’s nipples into his mouth. They were flushed and swollen with Tony’s heat, more sensitive than usual, and Tony arched into Bucky’s mouth with a loud moan.</p>
<p>Bucky could feel Tony clenching around him, unconscious spasms, Tony’s body trying to draw Bucky deeper, trying to coax him into orgasm.</p>
<p>But Bucky wasn’t in rut, even if the sweet smell of Tony’s heat was about to drive him crazy with wanting. He was in control. In control of himself. In control of <em>Tony</em>, with Tony’s permission, and that knowledge was both humbling and a huge boost to his ego. Bucky wasn’t going to come, not until he’d seen Tony’s own pleasure crest, until he knew that his knot would be a welcome fulfillment, a respite, and not another small torture to endure.</p>
<p>“You can come,” Bucky said. He flicked his tongue quickly across the hot, swollen bud of Tony’s nipple, and when Tony whined and squirmed, he slowed again to broad, firm licks and gentle suckling. “Whenever you’re ready, doll, you let it go.” He could feel Tony’s cock, trapped between their bellies, jumping and pulsing in search of friction.</p>
<p>Bucky gave it to him, pressing down, letting Tony grind up, gasping and moaning with each slow roll of Bucky’s hips.</p>
<p>Bucky shifted his attentions to the other nipple, the same not-quite-pattern of slow and fast, pressure and suction. Under him, Tony was writhing, whimpering, begging so sweetly. “Alpha, alpha, please, I need, I need you, alpha. Make me yours, I’m yours, please--”</p>
<p>“Mine,” Bucky growled, letting it vibrate into Tony’s skin. He balanced on the prosthetic elbow and let the fingertips of his right hand pluck and flick at Tony’s nipple, the one his mouth wasn’t on, sometimes switching back and forth, sometimes tormenting both of those soft little buds at once.</p>
<p>Tony’s moaning crescendoed, his whole body undulating in desperation, every breath short and sharp and keening with need. But he never lifted his hands from the pillow where Bucky had put them, which pleased something heavy and dark in Bucky’s chest.</p>
<p>“My omega, pretty omega,” Bucky purred. Tony was aching, <em>suffering</em> for him, so beautifully, so perfectly. He dragged his teeth over Tony’s skin, pinching carefully at the other side, and Tony cried out.</p>
<p>“Yours, alpha, please, please, I’m yours, I need--” </p>
<p>Bucky sealed his mouth tightly over Tony’s skin and sucked hard, grinding down with his hips. Tony let out a cracked scream and his whole body shuddered, waves of hot dampness flooding between them.</p>
<p>It wouldn’t be a real release, not the way it would any other time. It would, in fact, only make Tony’s body that much more aware of the knot it needed and didn’t have.</p>
<p>“Bucky,” Tony gasped. “Alpha. Please, knot me.”</p>
<p>“I will,” Bucky promised. “After you’ve come twice more.”</p>
<p>Tony let out a moan of despair, but he didn’t argue. Didn’t lift his hands.</p>
<p>“So good to me,” Bucky praised, dotting Tony’s skin with kisses, “so beautiful, so sweet.” He wanted to slide down Tony’s body and get his mouth on Tony’s gorgeous cock, but pulling out of Tony right now would be a little more cruel than he wanted to be. Maybe when Tony was on the downside of the heat, he could tease like that, leaving Tony empty and aching and desperate.</p>
<p>The thought of it made his balls squeeze and his cock pulse, making Tony groan. Yeah, that was something he wanted to try. Later, after he could talk to Tony about it, make sure Tony was okay with it.</p>
<p>He dragged his teeth across Tony’s shoulder, letting those sharp alpha canines drag a line of fire over the hypersensitive skin. He watched Tony twitch and gasp, arching into it and then away, unable to decide which was more unbearable.</p>
<p>It took only a couple of minutes for Tony to recover to full hardness; heat-lust could only be relieved by one thing, in the end.</p>
<p>Bucky wormed his hand down between them, trailing his fingertips lightly over Tony’s cock, using the spilled come like lube to smooth the way. He curled his hand around it and stroked lightly, watching Tony’s face, feeling the slight trembling in Tony’s thighs.</p>
<p>“Harder,” Tony begged, “Bucky, harder, <em>more</em>.” His eyes were closed, his hands clenched into fists where they pressed firmly back into the pillows.</p>
<p>“I’ve got you, sugar.” Bucky tightened his grip, let Tony’s hips roll, fucking desperately into Bucky’s hand, trying to drive Bucky’s cock even deeper. “How’s that?”</p>
<p>“Oh god,” Tony panted, “Bucky, <em>alpha</em>, I can’t, I’m so close.”</p>
<p>“You can do it, baby,” Bucky encouraged. He added a swipe of his thumb across the head of Tony’s cock every time it emerged from his fist.</p>
<p>Tony keened desperately, moving faster, rougher, chasing each sensation. When his movements became erratic, Bucky took over, stroking Tony’s cock fast and hard.</p>
<p>Tony arched so high that his whole back came off the bed, his mouth falling open to drag in huge gulps of air, and then wailed as he came, another hot flood of wetness.</p>
<p>“Perfect, you’re so amazing, I’m so lucky you’re mine,” Bucky purred, quickly wiping his hand on the sheets before using it to pet Tony gently, like calming a skittish animal. “Sweetheart, do you even know how gorgeous you are?”</p>
<p>Bucky scattered kisses over Tony’s face and chest, then reached for one of Tony’s hands, twining their fingers together. Tony resisted when he tried to pick it up, and for an instant, Bucky panicked, wondering what was wrong, and then he realized-- “So good for me, sweetheart,” he murmured against Tony’s neck, “so perfect, keeping your hands where I told you. But I’ve got ‘em now, it’s okay. I wouldn’t try to trick you like that, it’s okay.”</p>
<p>He coaxed Tony’s hands up off the pillow and wrapped them around his neck instead. “Hold on tight, babydoll, I’m gonna roll us over, and I want to stay nice and deep inside you, okay?”</p>
<p>Tony nodded, almost frantically, and Bucky wriggled one arm under Tony’s back, getting a good grip, and then smoothly flipped them over so that Tony was lying on top of Bucky.</p>
<p>Tony made a soft sound, and then moaned as his hips started rolling, rocking him onto Bucky’s cock, grinding his own cock against Bucky’s belly.</p>
<p>“That’s right, doll,” Bucky said. “God, you’re gonna look so gorgeous bouncing on my dick.”</p>
<p>Tony whimpered a little, and Bucky chuckled. “It’s okay, I’m going to help you. Sit up for me, first, can you do that?”</p>
<p>Tony whined again, but laboriously pushed himself mostly upright, gasping and panting as the change of angle made Bucky shift inside him. “That’s it, gorgeous, that’s just right.”</p>
<p>Bucky curled his hands under Tony’s hips and lifted until the head of his cock was tugging at the rim of Tony’s hole and Tony was shivering and shuddering, clenching down in a fruitless attempt to keep Bucky inside.</p>
<p>When Bucky dropped him back down, Tony shouted.</p>
<p>“That’s it, sugar,” Bucky urged, “you ride me just how you like it. Make me come. I want to fill you right up, make you feel so good.” He kept talking as Tony began to move, hands planted on Bucky’s shoulders, eyes closed tight, mouth hanging open and panting for air.</p>
<p>Christ, but Tony felt good around him, hot and tight and slick. Bucky had to grit his teeth to keep from coming, but he’d promised Tony would come three times before getting his knot, and he meant to keep that promise. He wrapped his hand around Tony’s cock and grinned as Tony groaned and bucked before settling into a new rhythm, jerking frantically back onto Bucky’s cock and forward into his fist, a dance of desperation.</p>
<p>Bucky’s toes were curled with the effort of holding it back when Tony finally let out a weak mewl of a sound and shook into a third climax, barely more than a dribble of come spurting out of him.</p>
<p>Bucky grabbed Tony’s hips and drove up into him, chasing his own release now, and it was barely half a dozen thrusts before it rushed over him and through him, igniting a fire under his skin and flooding out through his dick.</p>
<p>Bucky’s knot swelled, and he didn’t think it had ever grown so fast or so hard. Tony cried out with something like relief, and collapsed onto Bucky’s chest, panting for breath.</p>
<p>Bucky brushed his hand gently over Tony’s hair. “Better?”</p>
<p>“Mm,” Tony hummed, nestling his head in the hollow of Bucky’s shoulder. “So much. You’re the best.”</p>
<p>Bucky laughed. “Love you, too, babydoll. Get some rest. Twenty-minute nap, and then we can get a shower and have a snack.”</p>
<p>“And then start it all over again.” Tony’s voice came out as a peculiar mix of sated and sleepy and smug and disgruntled.</p>
<p>Bucky lifted his head to nuzzle at Tony’s hair, sweat-damp and curling messily. “And start all over again,” he promised. “I’m going to take good care of you.”</p>
<p>“You always do.” </p>
<p><em>I always will</em>.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Squares:<br/>- BBB: Y3 - Last TImes/Farewells<br/>- SBB: G1 - "I remember our first kiss"<br/>- TSB: A1 - Behind the Scenes<br/>Rating: T+ (chapter)<br/>Wordcount: 1521 (chapter)</p><p>(Full header will be provided on tumblr post.)</p>
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    <p>Tony paced alone in the tiny dressing room. He checked the clock, and by some outrage, it was only two minutes farther along than the last time he’d checked it. There were still almost ten minutes to go.</p><p>He gave in to temptation and grabbed his phone, tapping into the app that would show him the live feed of the big hall, nearly filled, now, with family and friends.</p><p>He skimmed over the faces, smiling helplessly.</p><p>In-- he checked the clock again. --just over five minutes, he would walk out there to say farewell to the loneliness and ache of being a single parent. To never having enough sleep. To those tight months where he had to choose between keeping the power on or food on the table. To the endless terror of trying to raise a child alone and never knowing whether he was fucking it up. To the judgmental looks when he turned up at school functions alone.</p><p>He would walk out there alone, for the very last time, and come face to face with his future, the love of his life. He’d take Bucky’s hands and when they left, it would be <em>together</em>.</p><p>There, at the front of the hall, Bucky was taking his place. He was tiny and pixelated on Tony’s phone -- the live feed quality wasn’t great, but the recording would be high-def, and Tony would go over it later, eking out every hint of nuance from Bucky’s expression, each little twitch of the lips or shift of the brow. Was he nervous? Anxious? Excited? Happy?</p><p>“Please let him be happy,” Tony murmured, touching Bucky’s face on the screen. “That’s all I need.”</p><p>Tony’s phone chimed softly: one minute. He silenced it, tucked it away in his overnight bag. He wouldn’t need it for the next little while.</p><p>He cracked the dressing room door and peered out. Harley, standing guard in the hall, turned to grin as Tony emerged.</p><p>“How do I look?” Tony wondered. Harley, if Tony were being honest, looked altogether out of place in that nice suit, arms and legs too long and gangly to really give it the gravitas it needed. But it didn’t matter; gangly or not, he would always be beautiful in Tony’s eyes.</p><p>“You look like Dad,” Harley said, “but cleaner.”</p><p>Tony laughed, and it was just enough to push down the nostalgic tears that had been threatening. The music swelled, and as they made their way to the entrance, a hint of that laughter was still bubbling in his throat.</p><p>And that, he thought, watching Harley precede him up the aisle, was as it should be. Far better to go to Bucky with a smile on his lips than tears in his eyes.</p><p>Bucky’s eyes were fixed on Tony, rounded with awe. He was reaching for Tony’s hand even before Tony was close enough to take it. Once he’d caught it, he pressed Tony’s hand against his own chest, so Tony could feel the heavy thump of his heart beating. “You look stunning,” he murmured.</p><p>“So do you.” He did, too, his trim and muscular figure filling out the lines of the suit to perfection. Tony was already happily anticipating peeling him out of it, later.</p><p>The ceremony proceeded, as ceremonies did. Tony didn’t pay very much attention; the ritual of a wedding, he’d long since decided, was only a formality. No amount of elegance and rich symbolism could create a bond between those who weren’t already fully committed to it. Their real wedding had taken place across hundreds of smaller moments, scattered across evenings and afternoons and mornings, their real vows made up of quiet conversations as they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, and sitting at the table with Harley as they learned to be a family, and even in their arguments as they learned that lack of agreement did not mean a lack of love.</p><p>No handful of words said before their chosen witnesses could possibly surpass all that.</p><p>And yet...</p><p>“I remember our first kiss,” Bucky said, looking into Tony’s eyes as he slid the wedding band onto Tony’s finger. “And I know I’m supposed to say something cheesy and romantic about that being the moment I fell in love. But it wasn’t. I can’t tell you when I fell in love with you, sweetheart, because it wasn’t one grand moment that unfolded into a perfect roadmap of our lives together.</p><p>“What I can tell you is that every moment of the past two years with you has been a moment to cherish. You inspire me to be a better alpha, a better man, a better <em>person</em>, just by being who you are. You’re teaching me to be a better parent. I hope, anyway--” His eyes cut briefly to the side, seeking out Harley with a sweetly shy smile. Tony followed his gaze in time to see Harley giving them a big grin and a thumbs-up.</p><p>“I didn’t fall in love with you the first time that I kissed you,” Bucky said, squeezing Tony’s hands gently, “but every moment with you after that has been a moment that I was a little more in love with you than the one before. I can’t even imagine what it will be like, tomorrow, waking up with you as your husband, but I know I can’t wait to find out what that feels like. And I’m even more excited to find out how much I’m going to love you in a year, and five years, and twenty years, and fifty years. Because sweetheart, I’m going to love you as much as I can, for the rest of my life.”</p><p>Tony had to swallow back tears. Bucky smiled at him, infinitely tender, and reached up to carefully brush away the few that had escaped and were rolling down Tony’s cheeks. From the gathered friends and family came the sound of someone sniffing, so Tony wasn’t the only one who was affected.</p><p>“How am I supposed to follow that?” Tony protested when he could talk again, smiling ruefully. “I’m not going to be able to say something to make everyone cry. Words aren’t my forte. I just... I want you to know that when we met, I’d almost given up on ever finding an alpha I wanted to bond. But you... you taught me to hope. And you taught me how to trust again. And you taught me what a partnership should be.</p><p>“And you did all that simply by being who you are, by loving me the way you do. I love you more than I ever thought possible, and I...” Tony had thought he would need to steel himself to say the words, to push through the hesitation and fear that would probably never leave him entirely.</p><p>But in this moment, looking up into Bucky’s eyes, full of love and wet with unshed tears, it was the easiest thing in the world to pull away the ceremonial scarf that covered his throat, to tip his head and offer it to Bucky. “I would be proud to be yours.”</p><p>“I would be honored to call you mine.” Bucky cupped his face with gentle hands and kissed him lightly, lingering at Tony’s lips to taste them, to give some attention to every tiny bit of them. Bucky’s mouth moved downward, then, dragging down Tony’s jaw, slowly, so slowly, as if they had all the time in the world.</p><p>He licked briefly just under Tony’s ear and then his lips followed the path of Tony’s jugular down to the curve of Tony’s neck and shoulder, nuzzling at the sensitive skin that covered the bonding gland. Low, too low for anyone but Tony to hear, he murmured, “And I am proud to be yours, as well.”</p><p>Tony’s breath caught; the traditional ceremony dictated that the omega give himself to the alpha; it in no way called for the alpha to return the sentiment. But Bucky had never been interested in doing things the traditional way, at least, not merely <em>because</em> of the tradition.</p><p>Bucky’s teeth closed on Tony’s skin in the next instant and Tony stilled, breath held against the coming pain.</p><p>It wasn’t as bad as he’d thought it would be -- no worse than a lovebite, really, and the bonding gland flooded his system with endorphins and hormones almost immediately that eased even that raw sting. Overall, it probably hurt less than it would to have his ears pierced for his bonding hoops, after their first heat together.</p><p>Bucky lifted his head and licked lightly across the skin, soothing, then looked into Tony’s face. Bucky’s eyes were wide with wonder and dark with desire. Tender and triumphant at once. Tony smiled up at him and draped the discarded scarf around Bucky’s shoulders. “Alpha,” he acknowledged. “<em>My</em> alpha.” No one but Bucky would notice that slight emphasis, or know what it meant.</p><p>No one else mattered.</p><p>“My omega,” Bucky returned. He dropped another light kiss on Tony’s lips, and then turned them to face their witnesses, taking Tony’s arm to lead the way back down the aisle.</p><p> </p>
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